Introduction
To improve productivity for the iPad Pro, Apple released two work-oriented accessories alongside the tablet: Apple Pencil and the Smart Keyboard. A previous teardown of the Apple Pencil showed it is essentially non-serviceable, receiving a repairability score of 1. The Smart Keyboard proved even less serviceable.
Teardown Summary
On the morning of November 25, iFixit performed a teardown of the iPad Pro Smart Keyboard. The accessory is covered on the exterior with nylon fabric and contains an ultra-thin circuit board inside. The internal wiring is implemented as conductive layers rather than discrete wires.
By the end of 2015, there were few unrevealed Apple products left to teardown; this teardown documents one of the final accessories from that period.
Features and Construction
The Smart Keyboard integrates the Smart Connector for power and data connection, and provides a 64-key QWERTY layout with water- and stain-resistant properties.
Markings and Model
As with other Apple accessories, regulatory markings and country/region information are printed on the underside of the Smart Keyboard. The unit carries the model number A1636. Apple published dedicated folding instructions on its website to guide correct use of the Smart Keyboard due to its more complex folding design compared with typical keyboard/cover combos.
Comparison with Surface Pro 4 Keyboard
When compared side by side with the Surface Pro 4 keyboard, the two accessories have visible differences. The most notable distinction is that the Surface Pro 4 keyboard includes a touchpad. At the time of the teardown, iOS did not support mouse input, so adding a touchpad to the iPad Pro's Smart Keyboard did not provide additional functionality.
Design Influences
The Smart Keyboard incorporates elements from the iOS virtual keyboard, such as the globe key for input switching and rounded keycaps. It also borrows from Mac keyboards by including keys like Control, Option, and Command. In this way, the Smart Keyboard blends features of both the iOS virtual layout and the physical Mac keyboard.
